Feature

Faced with a group of potential members from a new generation who drifted away after finding the church wanting, Robert Kyte, pastor at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Dalton, Massachusetts, employed his time on sabbatical to ask whether there is a future for the traditional "name brand" (Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Lutheran, UCC) American Protestant churches.

Faced with a group of potential members from a new generation who drifted away after finding the church wanting, Robert Kyte, pastor at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Dalton, Massachusetts, employed his time on sabbatical to ask whether there is a future for the traditional "name brand" (Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Lutheran, UCC) American Protestant churches. What do adults aged 45 and under look for in a church? Do they look for a church at all? What are some mainline churches doing differently that causes them to thrive, and what do pastors need to learn and practice now? His work was made possible by the Louisville Institute.